Which ancient civilization developed an early form of the alphabet?

The development of an early form of the alphabet is most closely associated with the Phoenicians, who significantly influenced the Greek and subsequent alphabets. The Greeks, in particular, adapted this phonetic writing system, leading to the creation of their own alphabet that became the basis of Western writing systems.

While the Egyptians utilized hieroglyphics, a complex system of symbols and pictures that represented sounds and concepts, they did not develop a true alphabet in the way the Greeks later did. The Persians and Babylonians also had writing systems—cuneiform for the Babylonians and a derivative of the Aramaic script for the Persians—though these were not alphabetic in the same sense as the Greek system.

Understanding this progression highlights how the Greek adaptation of earlier writing systems was a pivotal moment in the history of written language, leading to a standardized method of representing sounds with letters that became foundational for many languages today.